


l'amour t'attend

by babe_im_sherlocked



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Don't worry, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Sexual Tension, Space Opera, Summer, and rey is carmen, but actually real opera this time, its carmen, yes this is very specific
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 16:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22459471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babe_im_sherlocked/pseuds/babe_im_sherlocked
Summary: Rey is over the moon to get to sing the title role of Carmen in a summer opera program, especially as a young singer only entering her first year of grad school. Her dreams of succeeding as a singer and capturing the love of the audience won't be foiled by anyone.That is, until she meets baritone Ben Solo, Notorious Asshole, who seems to want nothing but to make everyone hate him. And to ruin Rey's hopes and dreams.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

_"Through the soft evening air enwinding all,_

_Rocks, woods, fort, cannon, pacing sentries, endless wilds,_

_In dulcet streams, in flutes' and cornets' notes,_

_Electric, pensive, turbulent, artificial,_

_(Yet strangely fitting even here, meanings unknown before,_

_Subtler than ever, more harmony, as if born here, related here,_

_Not to the city's fresco'd rooms, not to the audience of the opera_  
_house,_

_Sounds, echoes, wandering strains, as really here at home,_

_Sonnambula's innocent love, trios with Norma's anguish,_

_And thy ecstatic chorus Poliuto;)_

_Ray'd in the limpid yellow slanting sundown,_

_Music, Italian music in Dakota._

__

_While Nature, sovereign of this gnarl'd realm,_

_Lurking in hidden barbaric grim recesses,_

_Acknowledging rapport however far remov'd,_

_(As some old root or soil of earth its last-born flower or fruit,)_

_Listens well pleas'd."_

Italian Music in Dakota, Walt Whitman

* * *

Rey breathed in the warm air around her as she stepped down the steps of the plane cautiously. The airport was one of the smallest she had ever seen, and it seemed to be close to shutting down at only 10 pm. Luckily, she had eaten during her layover, so the only thing bothering her stomach was the butterflies she felt. Sure, she had felt grown up when she finally graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, but nothing compared to getting her first real, title role. Rey didn’t even have to pay for the program! But this was a huge step, and going from small side characters as an undergrad back in England to the leading lady of an opera in America did worry her. Rey had spent the last two and a half months pouring over her score since receiving news of her casting, but she could have spent a year and it would not have been enough time. The thought of the sheer amount of time she would spend on stage made her feel dizzy, and Rey quickly refocused her thoughts back to looking for her Uber. 

The summer program was tucked away, far from any main cities. While this was great in that there was lots of space to spread out, it was also an entire hour away from the airport. But this didn’t phase Rey at all. She was already picturing her summer, dreaming of the greenery that would surround her. Much different than London. As much as Rey loved London and the R.A.M., there wasn’t much in the way of trees or plant life to look at. This summer would be different, though. 

Rey smiled and closed her eyes. Any sleep she could get before her first day was essential. Images of sunlight streaming through trees and the feeling of a breeze against her skin floated through her as she drifted off. 

* * *

The bumpiness of the Uber against the gravel drive shook Rey from her sleep. She leaned over to look out the window. As the car pulled off of the gravel into a paved lot, she caught her first glance of what would be her home for the next few months. The building was mostly plain, and was definitely closer to a summer camp building than a city apartment. But it would do. Rey pulled her large suitcase from the trunk and swung her backpack against her shoulder. 

A small girl pushed open the door to the building, beaming as she addressed Rey. 

“Can I help you carry anything? I got here a few hours ago.”’

Rey looked down at her suitcase. 

“I’m alright, I think! I’ve just got this suitcase and my backpack. Thanks, though.”

Her eyes widened a little bit at that, but her face never faltered in its warmth as she replied back to Rey.

“No problem! I’m Rose, by the way. Rose Tico. Are you Rey? I think we’re rooming together.”

The girl in front of her wasn’t quite as polished or made up as the head shot on the website, but the genuine smile and bright eyes she sported were unmistakable from the picture. 

“Right, I remember your picture. You’re singing Micaëla.”

Rose’s smile grew even wider at the mention of her part. “Yes! I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to play her.” 

“Well you certainly look the part!” Rey chuckled, picturing the young, pious ray of sunshine that the character of Micaëla was. She started through the doorway, pulling her suitcase behind her. 

“We’re on the second floor.” 

After Rey had slowly ascended the stairs, careful not to bang her suitcase against the wall or take out Rose behind her, Rose quickly shuffled in front of Rey and pushed open a door on their right. 

“Here we are! It’s not super big, but I think it will be fine. I think it's a little bigger than my old dorm.”

Rey took in her surroundings. It was definitely bigger than her dorm room had been. There was more than enough space for the two twin beds, desks, dressers, sink and mirror that occupied the space. Each girl even had their own bedside table. Her face burned a little when she saw Rose’s three large and sturdy suitcases compared to her single suitcase and backpack.

“Wow.” was all that Rey could manage as she set down her suitcase beside her bed. She turned and saw two identical doors against the left wall. “Are those…”

“Closets! Yes! My favorite part!” Rose gushed. She opened the door for Rey to peek in. There were only two racks, and the closet was fairly shallow. But any closet was a luxury to Rey. She hadn’t had her own closet ever, certainly not in the last four years when she had been in student housing in London. 

“Oh my gosh, this is fantastic.” Rey blurted out. 

“Isn’t it? It’s going to be such a fun summer. Hard work, but fun!” 

The two girls continued to chat as Rey unpacked her things. She found out Rose had just finished her bachelor’s degree as well, and they bonded over their shared experiences at grad school auditions and senior recitals. By the time midnight rolled around, they were both sitting on their beds facing each other, giggling over a story Rose was telling from her sophomore year. 

“You seriously forgot the words? During your sophomore comprehensive?” Rey choked out through laughs.

“Yes!” Rose insisted. “I had been doing the aria for an entire year, and then the accompaniment started, and I literally could not remember a single word of the Italian. Or what it meant.” 

Rey fell backwards onto the bed, giggling so hard she banged her head against the wall. 

At the same time that Rey said “Ow” and grabbed the back of her head, three hard raps at the door silenced the girls. The door pushed inwards. Rey made eye contact with Rose and saw the other girls eyes widen as she saw the person opening the door. Rey felt her heart tighten in her chest as a man stepped into the room. 

“I know this is your first time or whatever, but could you two please be quiet? Some of us are trying to sleep and be prepared for tomorrow.”

He turned towards Rey as he said the last words, his face cold. Something about the look in his eyes was unsettling, and Rey felt chills wash over her as they made eye contact. His deep brown eyes seemed to bore into her inner self, and she had the inexplicable urge to look away. 

Rose quickly broke the silence. “Sorry, won’t happen again!” she inserted, giving the man her brightest smile. 

He just scowled, his dark brows furrowing as he turned away and muttered “Thanks.”. 

The door closed behind him, and Rey immediately looked towards Rose for an explanation. 

“Ben Solo.” Rose sighed. “Thinks he’s king of the entire universe. Baritone.” 

“Wow, would have thought he was a tenor with that attitude.” Rey replied.

Rose laughed. “I don’t want to imagine what that man would be like as a tenor. Double the ego.” 

“His mom runs the program. So he also thinks he can boss people around.” 

Rey gaped at that information. “His mom is….Leia Organa? The director?”

“Yes, her full name is Leia Organa-Solo. She’s probably the reason he’s made it this far. No one wants to work with someone with an attitude.” 

Rey was still trying to wrap her mind around that information as she climbed into her sheets to sleep. 

“Isn’t he a little….old for this program? Most of us are grad students.”

“He’s only twenty seven. He finished grad school a few years ago, but he’s been taking a break, I think. Just getting back into it now.” 

“Huh.” Rey murmured as she sank into her pillow. 

As sleep started to overcome her busy mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling she got when he stared at her. His eyes were burned into her mind, and were the last image she saw before slipping into a peaceful sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2


    _“A Man may make a Remark -
    In itself - a quiet thing
    That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
    In dormant nature - lain -
    
    Let us divide - with skill -
    Let us discourse - with care -
    Powder exists in Charcoal -
    Before it exists in Fire -“  
    
      
    
      
    
    _Emily Dickinson- A Man may make a Remark

* * *

The first morning flew by more quickly than Rey was prepared for. She woke up early, eager to make it to the communal showers before anyone else. The hallway was silent as she plodded down towards the bathroom. Rey unconsciously wondered who was living behind each door. 

Knowing her luck, she would probably run straight into one of her new castmates in only her robe. But luckily, the trek both to and from the shower went uninterrupted. Rey quickly dried her hair and threw on some light makeup before relinquishing the mirror to Rose. Today wasn’t anything super important, just introductory meetings and individual coaching. No gown was necessary, especially considering the environment they were living in. She pulled out some nice pants and an airy top. Anything Rey could do to keep cool and sweat-free in the summer heat was essential. She didn’t want to show up to her first coaching with pit stains. Calling goodbye to her new roommate, Rey stepped down the stairs to the entrance. She was anxious to get to the first meeting early and make a good first impression.

The walk to the large room that they would use for blocking and rehearsal wasn’t especially long, but Rey savoured every second of it. The air just felt -cleaner- than anywhere else she had lived. She could hear the chirp of birds in the trees that surrounded her, and the slight shaking of the leaves when the breeze passed through them. This was nothing like her walk to rehearsal in London had been. Here, there were no car horns blaring in her ear, no hum or crash of construction permeating every street. She didn’t have to worry about strange men calling towards her. Rey took in every sight, the different types of trees she had never encountered before, the plants of the forest floor. The greenness enveloped her, and she thought that even if it were not summer, she would be filled with warmth walking this path. Life was everywhere around her. 

Rey even liked the smell of the soil. Before stepping through the door to the meeting, she shut her eyes and took one last deep breath through her nose, trying to will her heart to slow and breath to lower. She exhaled out slowly through her mouth, her shoulders falling down and backwards, and pushed open the door. 

* * *

By the time the meeting finished, Rey’s mind was spinning with all of the information she had learned. She had jotted down as much as she could, working to remain focused as dozens of dates and times and papers were thrown at her. 

This was made only slightly harder by the man sitting on the far side of their semi-circle. Ben Solo took up more space than anyone else in the room, and his unhappiness about some of the rehearsal times announced radiated even farther. Rey couldn’t help but to look at him sometimes. He was directly in her line of sight, and when she looked up from the scrawl in her notebook, she caught him looking at her a few times too. She brushed it off as coincidental with their seating arrangement, but it made her remember the look he had given her the previous night each time their eyes accidentally made contact. 

Each time he looked at her, there was a strange look in his eyes that Rey was unable to decipher. It wasn’t exactly the cold glare he had given her with Rose, but it wasn’t one of warmth, either. The look was more inquisitive, like he was trying to figure out exactly who she was and why she was there. His glances, combined with the fact that he had chosen to wear just a plain black long sleeve shirt and dark wash jeans rather than the business casual that the rest of the cast donned, strangely infuriated her. He obviously thought that the program was beneath him. _What an asshole_ , Rey thought to herself. The final time she caught him looking at her, as the director was reading off the list of people needed at the rehearsal the next day, he didn’t look away. Ben maintained eye contact with her, and a small smirk emerged on his face. Rey felt her cheeks grow hot, and she quickly looked back towards the director. 

“Tomorrow, we will work on some of the blocking for the group scenes, specifically the beginning scene outside the cigarette factory and the tavern scene. I want to make sure we have all of our principals comfortable in their blocking and spacing before we bring choristers in. They will start working with us starting next week, so we are aiming to be solid in blocking on the group scenes by the time we start rehearsing as a full company.” Amilyn Holdo finished, looking around at each person in the semi circle. 

Her eyes stopped on Rey and a small smile flashed on her face. 

“Ms. Niima, you and Mr. Dameron will work on coaching some of your scenes at 11:30 today in room 137.”

Rey turned and glanced towards the dark-haired man playing her lover, Don José. He was handsome, a cut jawline with just a hint of stubble. She knew she wouldn’t have any problems portraying attraction to him. Turning back to the director, Rey replied. 

“Thank you, Dr. Holdo, we’ll be there. And please… call me Rey.”

The meeting was adjourned, and Rey started making her way over to Poe Dameron to introduce herself before they went to their coaching. In the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of dark clothing heading towards the door. By the time she turned to see who had left so quickly, the door was already closing. Rose was standing near the door, and Rey caught her eye, giving her a confused look. 

“ _Solo._ ” Rose mouthed, scrunching up her face in annoyance. Rey made a mental note to ask her later about the encounter. 

“So… Rey? It’s nice to finally meet the girl I’ll be spending so much time with.” Dameron said with a grin. He leaned down to zip up his bag before swinging it around his shoulders. 

  
  


“Yes, I am _so_ excited. You’ve done Don José before, right?” 

“Yup, my first year of grad school. New role for you though, I’ve heard.”

Rey let out a loose laugh. “How did you know? Do I just scream ‘undergrad’?” 

Poe ran a hand through his curls as the two walked through the doorway. 

“Not exactly. But you do seem younger than some of the people around here. I just finished my masters down at Rice. Let me guess… starting grad school in the fall?”

“Wow, if I didn’t know better, I would say that you just read my bio on the website.” Rey looked up towards Poe as they walked down the path to the residential building. 

“Well, I may have done that too. But you just seem so… excited. Fresh. I don’t think a single person in that room bothered to write down as much as you did, they’ll just wait for the email with the schedule.” 

Rey studied the ground for a moment. “I just want to be prepared. I want to do everything in my power to succeed. I… didn’t have a lot growing up, so when I’m given an opportunity, I have to take full advantage of it.”

Poe gave her a warm smile. The singers parted ways at the top of the stairs, both taking time to prepare for their coaching. They only had about an hour left, and Rey decided to use all of her time to warm up and get ready mentally for their scene. 

The practice rooms were on the far side of the grounds. Throwing her score and binder of music into her bag, Rey made her way down the paths to the building that housed the practice rooms. 

Walking slowly through the long hallway of rooms, Rey carefully listened for an empty room. There were no visible locks on the door, so she would have to rely solely on her hearing to avoid opening the door on an unsuspecting musician practicing. She could hear several instrumentalists playing closer to the entrance, but the sounds quieted as she walked farther. Finding a room that at last seemed empty and wasn’t directly beside a shrill woodwind, Rey carefully pressed her ear close to the door to check for a final time. 

Almost as soon as she did so, she heard a warm baritone sound start vocalizing. Groaning, she pulled away from the door. Rey stood for a second, luxuriating in the beautiful tambor of the voice. She had always loved the practice rooms in college. It let her surround herself in music, and she could listen to a different composer every minute by simply focusing on a different instrument. The man in the room beside her continued ascending, his tone only becoming sweeter, the notes pouring out like honey.

Rey finally forced herself to walk away from the door and towards the next practice room. As she began pushing open the door, she heard the click of the door from the room she had just been standing next to. Ben Solo, hair a little ruffled and water bottle in hand, emerged from the room. Rey’s heart sank in her chest. She had really, _really_ , hoped he was bad. Even though she knew everyone in this program had to be very talented to make it this far in their studies and to be casted, she had held out belief that somehow, Ben Solo just could not sing. But sadly, she was wrong. Apparently dicks could sing too. 

Ben gave her a quizzical look. 

“Hi-” Rey managed to get out.

“Rey.” he replied with a nod, walking towards the water fountain. 

Rey quickly stepped into the practice room and pulled the door shut. She sat down on the piano bench and closed her eyes. Breathing in and out, she counted in her mind. 

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight._

After a few minutes of centering her breath, she felt confident to start actually warming up. Placing her hands on the piano, Rey began.

* * *

Her coaching actually went pretty smoothly. They both used their score to take notes, even though neither needed it. Rey had studied so hard that the lyrics simply seemed to flow out of her. Even better was that she actually understood the French without having to work too hard to memorize every translation. She had never been so happy to have spent her entire school career in dreaded French class. 

Poe and Rey walked down to the small cafeteria hall side by side. 

“I can’t wait until you meet the accompanist for the production. He’s great, he was here last year too. We were actually going to go drive into town for dinner after our blocking rehearsal this afternoon. You could join us, if you want to.”

Rey grinned at Poe.

“I would love to! I haven’t met many people here yet, really just you and my roommate, Rose. How far is the town from here?”

“Not too far, about 20 minutes. It’s pretty scenic, though. If your roommate wants to come too, that would be fine. The more, the merrier, you know!” Poe replied as they slid into a booth with their food. 

By the time they finished eating, they were both laughing. 

“Stop that! You can get your own!” Rey insisted through giggles as Poe started reaching for her last fry. She pushed his hand away, but he quickly used his other one to grab the fry and stuff it in his mouth. 

“Nooooooo” she groaned. 

Rey looked up from her plate to see Ben Solo looking directly at their table, a scowl on his face. As soon as he caught eye contact with Rey, he quickly turned and walked to a table to sit alone. 

“What’s his problem?” Rey whispered to Poe across the table. He turned around, and catching a glance of the man sitting at the table on the far side of the room, turned back to Rey, rolling his eyes. 

“Solo has always had a stick up his ass. He was a senior when I was a sophomore during our undergrad years, and even back then, he was grumpy and didn’t really have friends. But lately it seems even worse” 

Rey tried to picture Ben Solo in college. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine him sitting through a single class or taking suggestions from a voice teacher. 

“Why did he stop singing?”

Poe shrugged and leaned back into the seat, casually setting him arm across his side of the booth. 

“Who knows. I heard something may have happened, that just turned him off singing completely. People get that, sometimes, they just lose the joy that made them pursue singing in the first place.” 

He looked down at his watch. “I’m going to go relax for a little bit and study dialogue before the next rehearsal. You good to stay here?” 

“Don’t worry about me,” Rey replied. “ I’ll just hang out for a little while.” 

Poe pulled up his bag and started heading for the door. Rey flipped open her score, popping a grape in her mouth as she closed her eyes, trying to remember the lyrics to the group scene without looking. When she opened her eyes, still chewing on her grape, Ben was looming over her beside the booth. 

“Jesus, Solo, you scared me.” Rey breathed, once she managed to swallow her grape.

“You need to be careful around Dameron.” Ben said in a dark tone, staring her down. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Rey hesitated, careful to keep her voice calm. 

“It’s just… I know him. And you’re young, I know how he can be. So just… be careful.” Ben looked around, scanning their surroundings for anyone that might be listening. 

“Why should you care? He’s certainly been a lot kinder to me so far than you have.” 

Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “You don’t have to listen to me. But you should.” 

“I appreciate your concern.” Rey gritted out. “But I think I’ll choose my own friends, thank you.”

She stood up, shoved her score into her bag and brushed past him to throw her food away. His eyes burned a hole into the back of her head as she walked out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for your comments and kudos!!!
> 
> i decided it would be fun to have some poetry before each chapter. i have some really great ones saved for later chapters!
> 
> also right now i’m aiming at posting about twice a week? depending on school.


	3. Chapter 3

_"I made a hundred little songs_   
_That told the joy and pain of love,_   
_And sang them blithely, tho' I knew_   
_No whit thereof._   
  
_I was a weaver deaf and blind;_   
_A miracle was wrought for me,_   
_But I have lost my skill to weave_   
_Since I can see._   
  
_For while I sang -- ah swift and strange!_   
_Love passed and touched me on the brow,_   
_And I who made so many songs_   
_Am silent now."_

The Song Maker, Sara Teasdale

* * *

The blocking rehearsal had helped Rey cool down significantly since her experience with Ben Solo at lunch. It was relaxing, easing herself into the character one step and sway of the hips at a time. Getting comfortable with Poe first had helped too. Rey didn’t hesitate to run her hand along his shoulders or leg when Amilyn called for it. 

It was freeing. Rey hadn’t had a ton of relationships or sexual experiences as an undergrad, choosing to put all of her energy towards improving herself and towards her degree. Playing Carmen was like living a fantasy version of herself, where she could have anyone she wanted with a single sultry glance. Carmen didn’t worry about bills, or if she had drunk enough water, or if she had taken her allergy medicine. She only worried about what she wanted, and how she felt. 

This was why Rey had pursued music, wasn’t it? Not only the beauty of the music and the adrenaline that flowed through her each time she stepped on a stage to sing. ( _ ‘Excitement, not nerves!’ Rey heard her teacher’s voice repeating in her mind). _ The prospect of completely becoming another person, a character, even for just a night at a time, was enthralling to Rey. She could lead a simple, calm life by day, then become larger than life by night. A force to be reckoned with. 

All of Rey’s thoughts were jumbled in her head as she packed her things up from rehearsal. A voice brought her out of her trance. 

“Still up for dinner, Rey? Finn, my friend I told you about, just got here. He’s going to set his stuff down and then we’ll take my car into town.” 

“Of course! Is it alright if I run and change? I can ask my roommate if she wants to come too.”

“Go right ahead, it’ll take him a little bit to get settled.”

Rey trekked back to her room, quickly walking to her closet to pull out an outfit. Rose was plopped on her bed, banana in one hand and score in the other. 

Pulling out a shirt to look in the mirror, Rey turned to her roommate. 

“Want to grab dinner with Poe and his friend Finn and I?” 

Rose swallowed her banana. 

“I would love to, but I think I’m going to stay in and study for the night. Big day tomorrow, you know.” She said with a grin. 

“Oh right! Coaching on your aria, right?” 

“Yup.” Rose said with a popped p, taking another bite from her banana. 

Slipping on sandals with jeans and a silky sleeveless top, Rey hurried back downstairs to look for Poe. She found him leaned up against the building, talking animatedly to another man. 

“I’m ready!” Rey called out to Poe. Poe turned around, a wide smile forming on his face as he saw Rey.

“Rey! Rey, this is my friend Finn. He’s our accompanist for the opera.” 

“Hello!” Finn said warmly, reaching for a handshake. “It’s so exciting to finally meet our leading lady!” 

Rey giggled, shaking his hand. “It’s great to meet you too!” 

Poe drove them to a small restaurant in town. Rey learned that Poe and Finn had met in grad school, where Poe had sung in Finn’s collaborative piano class. She got along immediately with him, and was glad to have another friend in the production. Finn had just as strong of a love for opera as the two singers, and their dinner quickly evolved into a critique of the Met’s most recent productions. 

“I’m just saying, she might have been good ten years ago, but that does NOT mean they should cast her in everything! There are so many great singers out there! The Met themed their entire gala around her.” Poe insisted, hands waving in exasperation.

“Hmm.” Rey hummed, scrunching up her face. “ _ Was _ she good ten years ago?”

Poe burst into laughter, leaning back into his seat as Finn groaned beside him. 

“You two are impossible. She’s just… an icon. Okay? It’s not about how she sounds. She is THE diva of our generation.” Finn said, rubbing his hands against his temples. 

“Oh no, we wouldn’t want to listen to how an opera singer  _ sounds _ . That would be unfair.” Poe added, smirking. 

Conversation paused for a moment as Finn sulked in his seat. 

“What do you two think of Leontyne Price’s  _ Carmen _ ?” Rey started, throwing the group back into another intense discussion. They continued until their food was long gone, and Rey finally checked the time on her phone, finding it was already nine. 

“Ooh, we’d better get back. I’m going to try and get an early start tomorrow before we start rehearsing.” 

The three paid their bills and piled into Poe’s car. Once they got back, Rey could barely muster the energy to change into pajamas, wash her face and brush her teeth before collapsing into bed. 

* * *

Rey’s alarm blared angrily in her ear at 6 a.m. on the dot. Sighing and sitting up, she quickly turned it off, glancing over at Rose to make sure she hadn’t woken her roommate up. 

Carmen demanded a lot from Rey, both vocally and physically, and she needed a lot of stamina to keep up. Long days spent working through her score were great for the vocal aspect, but didn’t offer anything physically. The only way to work herself up to the amount of time she would spend on stage was through plain old cardio. Without any type of gym in the area around the program, her only option was to run. Luckily, the summer heat wasn’t as intense in the morning. 

The wind blew over Rey’s bare shoulders as she stepped outside. The scenery was certainly pleasant, but it also meant that she had to be extra careful with each step so as to avoid twisting her ankle on a root or branch. The last thing she needed was an injury. 

After twenty minutes of jogging, Rey’s breath had become more labored. She stopped for a moment close to the residential building, leaning over and taking a deep breath. The two weeks between her time at school with ample access to a gym and the opera program had taken a toll. Hands on her hips, Rey stood back up straight and tightened the buns on her head. 

A gruff voice started behind her, making Rey whip her head around.

“Morning, Niima.”

Ben Solo stood in front of her, ear buds in hand. Rey’s heart was already pounding from running, but the sight of him in his black running shorts and a fitted dark gray shirt seemed to make it beat even faster. 

“Hi, Ben.” Rey replied, noticing his slightly damp hair. She managed a small smile. The man may have been a little rude before, but she still had to deal with him for the rest of the summer. 

“Umm” Solo said, squinting to look up at the trees around them. “Sorry if I came off badly last night. I haven’t had the best experiences with Dameron.” 

Rey looked up towards him. The sun had started to fully come out, and it glinted in his eyes, making flakes of gold shine in the deep brown. 

“It’s alright, I guess. But I’m going to keep being friends with Poe. I’ll be spending a lot of time with him over the summer.” 

Ben met her eyes. 

“Do you want to walk for a while?” 

Rey didn’t answer, giving Ben a small nod and walking towards him. They walked side by side in silence for a while. The rustle of the wind and the bright song of the birds were the only noises around them, but whenever Rey caught a glimpse of Ben from the corner of her eye, the sound of her heart seemed louder in her ears than any background noise. She hoped it was just nerves. His face gleamed with a light spray of sweat, looking even paler than Rey thought possible in a person. 

Ben interrupted the silence. 

“Back in college, Poe had a…. reputation. He’d go with a different girl every month, then leave them heartbroken.” 

Rey stared at the ground, memorizing the way the ferns jutted out onto the dirt path. 

“Maybe he’s grown up a little, but what he did back then is just burned into my memory. I’ll never forget the look on Molly Reynolds’ face after he dumped her closing night of the opera. He broke up with her, then immediately made out with another girl at the cast party.” 

Ben’s expression was serious, but there was softness in his eyes as he looked at Rey. Their pace slowed. 

“I appreciate it, Ben. But I do think he’s changed. I think I would know if he was trying to get in my pants. We’re just friends. I would never date someone during the run of a show, much less my character’s love interest.” 

Ben stopped and turned around, looking at his watch. 

“Do you want to turn around? It’s almost seven.” 

The walk back was far less quiet than on the way there. It turned out Ben Solo wasn’t completely different from her. He told her about his experience auditioning for schools for his undergraduate degree. 

“I really had no idea what I was doing. My mom picked out the schools, I just showed up and sang. I probably couldn’t name half of the schools she dragged me to off the top of my head back then.”

Rey laughed. 

“Bet you got into most of them though, Solo. Combination of insane recommendations and the sheer fact you were a boy, right?”

“Oh yeah. Plus my mom knew the faculty at every school, I could get a sample lesson anywhere I wanted.”

Rey shook her head.

“I can’t imagine what that would have been like. I did one practice lesson, only applied to three schools. It was kind of all or nothing at the Academy for me. Would have cost too much to apply to more places.” 

The two made eye contact for a moment. The expression on Ben’s face was kinder than any she’d seen on the man so far. Her heart rose a little in her chest before she tore her eyes away, noticing that they had made it back to the residential area. 

“I’d better go change.”

Ben nodded his head. 

“I’ll just go grab something to eat.”

He looked down at her, giving her a slight smile.

“See you, Rey.”

Cursing the way her name in his voice made her stomach flip, Rey headed back up to her room to get ready for the day. 

Closing the door behind her, Rey groaned and sank to the ground against the wall. Rose looked up from her score from her desk in the corner of the room, uncrossing her legs. She gave Rey a concerned look, furrowing her eyebrows. 

Rey sighed dramatically.

“I might not completely dislike Ben Solo.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry, this one came a bit later than expected. hopefully the little bit of rey/ben action makes up for it! 
> 
> hope you enjoy! <33333 have a great wednesday!


	4. Chapter 4

_I am in need of music that would flow_   
_Over my fretful, feeling fingertips,_   
_Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips,_   
_With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow._   
_Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low,_   
_Of some song sung to rest the tired dead,_   
_A song to fall like water on my head,_   
_And over quivering limbs, dream flushed to glow!_   
  
_There is a magic made by melody:_   
_A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool_   
_Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep_   
_To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,_   
_And floats forever in a moon-green pool,_   
_Held in the arms of rhythm and of sleep._

I Am In Need Of Music, Elizabeth Bishop

* * *

Rose set down her score. 

“That’s probably not such a bad thing. You do have to pretend to be attracted to him in the opera.”

Rey rolled her eyes.  _ Pretend _ , she thought, grimacing.

“I know, but it seems like everyone else dislikes him. He’s a dick to most people.” 

“I don’t know, I feel like it might be mostly Poe that dislikes him. Solo’s kind of abrasive sometimes, but he’s not completely bad. There are definitely far worse singers out there in terms of unlikability.” 

Rey thought for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek. 

“I guess so.”

Rose gave her a devilish look.

“So what stirred this… not disliking?” 

“I don’t know really, we just took a walk together this morning after my run, and he was kind of nice? We were actually able to talk to each other. He seems like a decent guy, actually.” 

Rey remembered the kind look he had given her, her face burning. She hoped Rose didn’t catch her blush.

“Other than that first night, he’s been fine to me, too. He bumped into me leaving rehearsal yesterday, but he apologized. It looked like he was on the phone, a little bit upset.” 

“I wonder why.”

“I have no idea, honestly. But I guess we should give him a chance. We do have to work with him for almost a month.” 

“He told me more about Poe, I guess he had sort of a reputation in college. But I don’t really care that much, it was a long time ago. I feel like both of them have grown up since then.” 

Rose nodded.

“Plus, Poe is my friend now. And Ben is… I’m on good terms with him. I’m not going to stop talking to either just because they have some college feud.”

Rey changed the topic as she walked over to the closet to pick out clothes.

“Ready for rehearsal?”

* * *

  
  


Rey gave herself a nice, long warmup session before the morning rehearsal. She liked having the time to sit down and slowly prepare each part of her body and voice. Even though the run had gotten her muscles working, she still took the time to ground each leg and feel comfortable in her body. It was one of the most important parts of actual opera, she had learned in college, to be aware of yourself and the space you occupied on stage. Especially in modern productions, it was essential to move well. ‘Park-and-bark’ singing just wouldn’t fly. 

She carefully worked through her range, moving from lip trills and hums to actual singing. It was a careful balance, warming up enough that she could fully use her voice in rehearsal while also trying to stay as fresh as possible. 

Before college, it had been hard for Rey to find somewhere to warm up or practice before her lessons and performances. Her foster parent, who normally took no notice of her, certainly noticed whenever she sang even a single note. He hated her singing, and the one time she dared to sing full out while he was there in the apartment, he burst through her door, screaming about “the racket she made”, and “needing to respect him and his space”, and that if he ever heard “that damn singing again, she’d be out on the street in a second”. 

Rey’s one escape was through her voice lessons every two weeks. She walked almost half an hour to the local university to study with her teacher through their community music school. The teacher gave Rey a small discount, but even then, Rey had a hard time paying, working every odd job she could find. Classical voice was a hard field to be in without financial support, but Rey was determined to be prepared for university study, even in high school. 

She found little pockets of time to study her music without her foster parent, Unkar Plutt, around to hear. Sometimes she would leave early for school and stop at a bench to go over whatever piece she was working on. Rey would get pitches from the piano app on her phone and use a tiny coffee straw to mask the sound of her practice. She had gotten this tip from her teacher. Rey was careful not to reveal any details of her situation out of embarrassment, but had been able to learn some ways to quietly practice and study from the woman. 

  
  


Mostly, Rey listened. She listened to any recording she could find on YouTube of operas or pieces she was working on or wanted to work on. Rey was pretty sure that she had heard every professional recording of one of the arias she auditioned for college with available. She worked hard to make sure she didn’t imitate, but she did take some artistic suggestions from the recordings. Whenever she heard an ornament she really liked, or a unique dynamic change, she took it into her next lesson to see if her teacher approved. It felt like Rey took a little bit from everyone she listened to.

One of her favorite things to listen to was masterclasses. It was free knowledge, and Rey absorbed every bit of it. She binged on the masterclasses of Mirella Freni, Renee Fleming, and anyone else whose name she recognized. Some of the tips made her giggle, and she definitely didn’t use everything they said, but sometimes they helped her understand concepts her teacher had been trying to explain. They helped her the most with understanding the drama and expression of singing. 

Rey smiled, remembering how her life had once been. How different it was now. She was proud of where she was now, but also knew there was so much further to go. There would always be more work to do. Rey loved it, though. She was never bored. 

Finishing up her warmup, Rey packed up her bag and headed to rehearsal. 

* * *

Her rehearsal was full of excitement. After she watched Poe and Rose work through her entrance and their duet (beaming with pride for her roommate), they started with a scene where Carmen is arrested for attacking a woman with a knife. Although the chorus was not yet there that would frame the scene, Rey was already able to picture them around her as she easily worked through the scene individually. They practiced Poe tying her hands together, which he was able to do without any trouble, making her think maybe he had some experience outside of opera with this. She and Poe worked on her ‘Seguidilla’, where Rey had the time of her life pretending to seduce him. Rey had to admit he was a good actor. The two had natural chemistry working together, and Rey could comfortably work around him. The group finished with the blocking of the final scene of the first act where she convinced Poe’s character to let her escape and undo the binding on her hands. It was all very fun for Rey, even when she had to alter her position ten times to the will of the director for one moment of a scene. The four hours of rehearsal before being let out for lunch at one felt like much less. 

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, good job! Make sure to pop in for costume fittings before we meet back up at 3:30. Remember, we’re working on the beginning of Act II, right up until the beginning the Toreador song.” 

Rey decided to get her costume fitting over quickly so she could fully use her break between rehearsals. She called out to Poe and Rose.

“Catch you guys in a little bit!” 

She made her way down the path that led to the little cottage housing the costumes. Rey carefully pushed open the door, the floor creaking as she stepped into the house. 

“Hello?” She asked, looking around in the dim light of the room. Every inch of the room was covered, if not by fabric and costumes then by the seemingly dozens of houseplants. The windows were fully open, with the obscured light streaming through the leaves into rays on the carpet. 

A tiny woman poked her head in through a doorway to the left.

“Oh, hello there! Rey?”

Rey nodded, smiling at the woman. 

“I thought so.” She crinkled up her eyes and stuck out her hand, looking up at Rey. “Maz Kanata.” 

Rey shook her hand. Maz led her into the next room. 

She looked around. Swashes of gold and red fabric were everywhere, with shining portions gleaming in the light. A large sewing machine on a desk filled an entire corner of the room, sitting beside an open armoire. Thread of every color filled the bottom few drawers, and partially completed bodices hung in the top section. A gorgeous deep crimson dress was on a mannequin to Rey’s right. She walked towards it, admiring the different layers of pleats giving the dress volume. The sleeves were shiny and silky, and Rey imagined how they might feel on her arms as she moved around on stage. She resisted the urge to run her finger along the fabric.

“Wow.” Rey breathed, turning back to Maz. “This is incredible.”

“Yes, it is.” Maz laughed. “Made it myself. No borrowing for that one. But that’s for the final act. We’re focusing on the first two right now.” 

Rey nodded, a little bit disappointed to not try on the gorgeous red dress immediately, but still extremely excited to get to wear it at all. Her school had the funds to borrow nice costumes in their productions, but nothing like this. Rey felt extremely honoured to have a dress made for her. 

“I need some final measurements. Your first outfit should be good, using the measurements you sent us. We’ll try that one on in a little bit.”

Maz pulled a measuring tape out from her pocket.

“Now, arms up darling!”

Maz Kanata may have been an older woman, but she worked around Rey like a nimble twenty-something year old. She scribbled numbers into a little notebook between measurements, muttering things to herself. 

Once she deemed the numbers satisfactory, Maz ushered Rey into another room. She pulled out a low cut white peasant top, a maroon skirt and a reddish-brown corset. 

“See how this works. You can leave the corset undone, I’ll tighten that up for you.” 

Maz smiled warmly at Rey, walking back towards the room they had been in.

“Come out once you’ve got it on.”

Rey paused for a second to admire the costume. It was certainly the most alluring that she had worn. Undressing quickly, she slid the top on and pulled the skirt up. Even with the strings of the skirt pulled as tight as they went, it was a little loose. Rey lifted her arms to tug the corset down to her waist. 

Glancing in the mirror, Rey’s heart sank. With the loose corset and sagging skirt, she felt like a little kid in a grown woman’s outfit. Swallowing her sudden emotion, she went back outside to grab Maz.

“Lovely!” Maz exclaimed, her eyes bright.

Rey tried to hide just how not-lovely she felt in the moment.

Maz pulled at the skirt and fluffed the sleeves out.

“I’ll have to alter that skirt, but a safety pin will do for now.”

She pinned the back of the skirt, then instructed Rey to grab the sturdy door frame. 

“Take a deep breath, I want to make sure you’ve got all the space for breath you need in there.”

Rey nodded, inhaling and expanding her lower stomach. Maz pulled each row of the corset, finally tying the bottom. Rey had worried the corset may have been too large as well, but it was definitely snug after Maz’s adjustments. 

Maz stood back, admiring her work. 

“Go take a look in the mirror, dearie.”

Rey stepped back into the next room. Closing her eyes momentarily, she let out the air she had been holding involuntarily. She opened her eyes and met them in the mirror.

Her mouth broke into a grin. In those two minutes, Maz had worked magic. The skirt still wasn’t perfect, but with the corset pulled tight, Rey felt…. tantalizing. The costume gave her shape she didn’t have in normal clothes, and the corset pushed up her breasts just enough to hint at what was hiding under the top. She turned side to side, swinging the skirt around. 

“Oh, I forgot the petticoat!” Maz called in. A moment later, she appeared in the doorway, fluffy white skirt in hand. Rey accepted the petticoat, hitching up the skirt to put it on.

“How is it working?” Maz asked with a knowing smile.

“It’s perfect. I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s fitting great.” 

“Alright then. Now, get out of that costume so you can go grab some lunch!”

* * *

Her afternoon rehearsal was fun, but mentally tiring. They began working on the trio between herself, Gwen Phasma’s Frasquita and Kaydel Connix’s Mercedes. It was the first time she had gotten to work with the women. Although the beginning of the act wasn’t actually that long, it took them hours to work out each movement. Their trio was one of the few with some actual choreography, and committing those movements to memory proved far harder than lyrics. It was a little harder with Ben watching her every movement from the corner of the room. She tried to pay no attention to him as they worked through the scene, but every so often when she turned his way, their eyes would meet. He was slouched in his seat, legs crossed and score in his lap. 

“Alright, Ben, so we’ll have you enter from the stage left wing after most of the chorus.” Amilyn Holdo said, pointing exactly where he would enter. 

Ben stood up, striding to the wing. Rey watched from the chair she ended in after the trio. 

“Yup, right there.” Holdo called to him. “We’ll start up right there tomorrow morning.” 

Rey stood, walking over to put her practice petticoat back on the prop table. She felt a presence behind her, and turned around after she set the skirt down. Ben Solo stood a few feet behind her, hands in his pockets.

“Good job, today. Hard scene.”

She looked up at him. 

“Thank you. Good luck tomorrow.”

He smiled at her. Rey smiled back, then strode past him towards her bag. As she walked through the door, her heart fluttered at the thought of watching him sing his aria the entire morning. At this rate, Rey wasn’t sure how she was going to survive seeing him perform every night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the wait on this one! college auditions and school are beginning to pile up, although it will get better soon. also sorry for the lack of ben/rey action in this one, hopefully i'll make it up to you next chapter;))))

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what y'all think! i really love opera and carmen, and i had a vision of adam driver as escamillo the toreador waving a cape around, and thus this was born.


End file.
